As I wrote to Jeff last night, yesterday’s game against the Rockies was a sad, pathetic microcosm of the entire Phillies season. Either the starter blows up and they’re already behind, or he has a good outing, but you know he has to turn it over to the bullpen eventually. It’s like Chinese water torture. Plus they have the burden of Charlie Manuel. Last night, the Rockies have lefty-righty-lefty in the ninth. So he brings in the only lefty they have in the bullpen besides Bronko to face Helton to start the ninth, with the Phils leading 6-5. Ok, so far, so good. Now, J.C. Romero is a journeyman, but in the few innings he’s pitched for the Phils, he has nothing but zeros. So, after Romero disposes of Helton, what does our genius-in-residence do? He brings in Alfonseca–who’s pitched eight innings at Coors and given up eight runs–to face the righty, and then leaves him in to face Brad Hawpe, a guy who absolutely MURDERS right-handers.
Guess what happened?
Oh, no! Rained out?
Behold the genius of Clint Hurdle! The bullpen threw 6 innings last night, so what does he do tonight? Pulls his starter who, after a bad first inning, settled down and had retired the final 10 he faced. 75 pitches.
Then, he brings in the only fresh guy from the bullpen — the long man — and pinch hits for him after a single inning of work.
This is how the Rockies lose. And why last year, the second half their bullpen imploded. Also, let’s not forget that they’re shorthanded, given that Fuentes is unavailable.
Should screw us up tomorrow, too.
Awful managing. Plain and simple.
And a great catch by Rowand saves 2 runs. Yeah, this won’t end well for the Rox.
Mock if you must, Dan. I’d rather worry about the Phils than the islamoturds. Of course, it might not be as entertaining…..
Right, and they’re talking about dealing him for pitching. They’d have to deal the entire lineup to fix their pitching problems.
Hurdle’s biggest problem as a strategist is that he’s predictable with his bullpen and he overuses them.
If I had to guess, I’m betting we’ll see Affeldt next inning, followed by Corpas in the 9th, if the Rockies still lead.
Affeldt has been great, but Utley is a better hitter vs. lefties, and Jeremy’s biggest problem is that he can get wild at times. You don’t want traffic on in front of Ryan Howard.
Yup. Why is Hurdle’s job so secure? Does he have dirty pictures of someone?
He’s great with the players, and he’s a good teacher. He’s just not great at using his bullpen, or assessing pitchers.
The wind is so bad right now that a ball Garrett Atkins just hit — on any other night it goes 440 for a home run — got blown back in beyond the warning track.
Everything blowing out to right. And the Phils have 3 lefties with power coming up.
Yay, Clint!
You’re starting to sound like a Phillies fan, Jeff. Maybe we could start dueling negativity. Don’t worry, the Phils will figure out a way to lose. Whoops, 6-3 Rocks.
Just watch.
Now, would you let Affeldt come back for the 9th?
I suppose you’ll say that the bullpen shut down the Phils two nights in a row in spite of Hurdle’s mismanagement.
No. I’ll say that the bullpen has thrown 10 innings in 2 nights.
Hope Aaron Cook can throw a lot of innings tomorrow.
And he burned out the bullpen last year. They were great the first half and faltered down the stretch. Throwing 80-90 games does that.
Craig,
I have lived most of my life in Philly.
You get used to it, eventually.
Oh, man, I was at fireworks last night. Hey, Jeff, Hurdle may overuse your bullpen but AT LEAST YOU HAVE ONE THAT CAN HOLD A LEAD! Perhaps this will bite you in the ass in September but you are in the shredder division and have an uphill fight anyway.
Craig, what is it about Philly that, like the legendary elephant graveyards, good pitchers come here to die? Garcia, Leiber, Millwood, Eaton, it’s like there is some kind of a force shield that plays havoc with their biomechanics. And don’t give me the Philly fans as pitchers go to New York and Boston and succeed.
I like this team’s everyday lineup (without Pat Burrell) but I may have to just root for the Red Sox this year, which will spare me some life sapping angst.
Jeff, that kid Hawpe is a stone cold stud! I can’t believe he bats 6th or 7th. If he ever learns to hit lefties he could be fighting Utley for future MVP votes.
That force field is called the Phillies front office. Other than the Thomey deal, when have they ever made a deal that didn’t result in them either letting go of a future all-star or acquiring a guy who was just cresting the top of the hill? Remember a guy named….oh, what was his name…..um, Ryne Sandberg? Much as I love Rowand, even that deal wouldn’t have been great if they hadn’t had Howard to replace Thomey.
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!